An Implausible American Hero: Searching for the Grave of Adjutant William Campbell Using Ground Penetrating Radar

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "In Times of War and Conflict: An Exploration of New Sites, Methodologies, and Interpretations at Sites of Conflict in the New England Region.", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

British Adjutant William Campbell was a member of the Scots Guards during the American Revolution who participated in General Tryon’s Raid on New Haven, Connecticut on July 5th, 1779. An outspoken patriot, Reverend Noah Williston, was injured and captured by the British during the attack. Campbell intervened, preventing the Reverend’s execution, and directing the regimental surgeon to set his leg. Later that day, Campbell was killed in action in a skirmish as the British attempted to cross the West River. Historical accounts suggest that Campbell was buried in an unmarked shroud burial on private farmland in West Haven. Today, that area is known as the William Campbell Monument Park. TerraSearch Geophysical, in coordination with the West Haven Historical Society, conducted a suite of geophysical surveys in an attempt to identify Campbell’s grave site. This research exemplifies utilizing geophysical survey methods to investigate colonial-era unmarked burials in complex urban environments.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025   •
• In Times of War and Conflict: An Exploration of New Sites, Methodologies, and Interpretations at Sites of Conflict in the New England Region.

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow